SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES. 401 



This declaration I forwarded to Messrs. Weatherby, 

 and had the mare returned in my name in ' Studbook 

 No. 12,' p. 106. She foaled a colt, by Delight, in 

 1872, and was put to my own horse Camerino. 1 

 confess I am perplexed to say what was Mr. Simp- 

 son's design in the matter, or how he proposed to 

 reap any benefit from it ; and it is perhaps better to 

 ascribe the whole business to the perversity of an 

 aimless eccentricity. 



I may say in conclusion that in his own house he 

 was extremely hospitable, always in good spirits and 

 full of humour. I can call to mind some pleasant 

 evenings spent at Diss with him and his family. 



Shooting in Norfolk is proverbially good, and his 

 was no exception to the general rule. I shot with 

 him several years, mostly having excellent sports A 

 party of six guns, including his son and an old 

 gentleman, neither of them very expert in the use 

 of the deadly weapon, we bagged three hundred 

 pheasants, besides hares and rabbits and a woodcock 

 or two. I once killed on the farm which he kept in 

 hand for the use of his stud, twenty couple of wild 

 ducks, and left off at three o'clock in the afternoon, 

 not for the want of more to shoot at, but being satis- 

 fied with the number bagged. 



He cared little for what he eat or drank, so that 

 the meats were overcooked in order to provide gravy 

 for the dumplings, which were delicious. He carved 

 his own joints; but even so, so rapidly did he eat 



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